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feature STORY Written by Board Trustee and St. Andrew’s parent William Osborn

TO THEM ALL MY DAYS “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 The St. Andrew’s community this year celebrates the

plane and flew west across the Pacific, alone, like a

career and legacy of Lucy Collins Nazro, after 32

pearl called by destiny back to the Orient for polish.

years of service as head of our school. Lucy came

St. Margaret’s had been founded in 1877 by an Epis-

to us in 1980, and so she has been our leader for

copal Missionary, and Lucy would stay there as an

more than half of the institution’s lifetime. Yet the

English teacher, living on campus, for the next three

school she leaves is nothing like the school she found

years. In 1963 she returned to Austin and enrolled

when she arrived. In 1980, St. Andrew’s had about

in a special program for educators at the Episcopal

300 students in grades 1–6; it now has 851 students in

Seminary of the Southwest.

grades 1–12, and sends its graduates to some of the best colleges in the country. During her tenure Lucy

Also arriving at the Seminary as a new student in

spearheaded efforts that raised over sixty million

the fall of 1963 was a young man named Phil Nazro.

dollars for this expansion.

As he was moving into his dorm on the first day, his roommate told him that the talk was that, of all

We will most remember Lucy for her indomitable spir-

things, there were two girls in the new class. But,

it and tenacity in the face of many challenges. Lucy

the newsgiver continued, it was hopeless to imag-

graduated from Waco High School in 1955. She was

ine any possibilities, because one was married, and

a high school cheerleader; she has essentially been

the other was a missionary! On the first day of class,

a cheerleader ever since. She graduated from the

Lucy gravitated to the front row of the Church His-

University of Texas in 1959 with a degree in English,

tory class, as did Phil, in his words, because they were

having her picture all over the “Cactus” yearbook

both so short and could not have otherwise seen the

for various organizations. Being an adventurer from

teacher. And that is how they became acquainted.

the start, Lucy began her career by teaching for a

It is a seemingly strange thing, but the word “short”

year at Granger Junior High School in San Diego,

never comes to mind when thinking of Lucy. She

California. In the summer of 1960 she wrote to the

would be a missionary for the rest of her life, but like

national office of the Episcopal Church, asking if they

all on a powerful quest, assumed a stature indepen-

knew of any teaching positions in the Far East. She

dent of any physical constraints.

received an immediate reply that St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, a 1–12 girls school in Tokyo, needed an

Phil recalls from their courtship days that it seemed

English teacher by September 1st. Lucy boarded a

Lucy knew at least half of the people wherever they St. Andrew’s Episcopal School •  www.sasaustin.org • 5